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B. HORTON.

FISHING ROD.

No. 886,320. Patented July 17, 1888.

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UN TED STATES PATENT Orricn.

EVERETT HORTON, ,OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HORTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FISHING-ROD.

.QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,320, dated July 17, 1888.

Application filed May 21,1888. Serial No. 274,460.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, EVERETT HonToN, of Bristol, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,haveinventedanewImprovement in Fishing-Rods; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said IO drawings constitute part of this specification,

and represent, in

Figure 1, a side view of a portion of a fishing-rod embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section of one section of the rod; Fig. 3, a transverse section through one section of the rod, illustrating the rod as triangular in transverse section; Figs. at and 5, like sections illustrating a greater number of sides; Fig. 6, a transverse section illustrat- 2o ing the slot as applied to a cylindrical rod.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of fishing-rods which are made in sections, and particularly to such rods as are made from a series of tubes of metal, the successive sections gradually diminishing in diameter. For such a metallic rod Letters Patent of the United States No. 359,153 were granted to me March 8, 1887. In that rod the sections are cylindrical in shape and tubular,

0 the rod being of a telescopic character. The construction of that rod permits the line to run longitudinally through the rod from the reel to the tip. Considerable difficulty is experienced in that rod in introducing the line.

Should the line be broken, it is necessary to bring the rod into the collapsed condition before the line can be replaced through the rod, or if a change of line is desirable the same operation must be gone through with for the introduction of a new line.

The object of my present invention is to construct the rod so that, while it is tubular, it may afford the same facility for the introduction, renewal, or replacing of the line that other sectional rods possess, and in which the line runs outside the rod through guides prepared for the purpose.

To this end my invention consists in constructing the sections of the rod with a longitudinal slot extending substantially the length of the section,with bridges across the slot, and

(No model.)

so that the line may be introduced through the slot under the bridges and run from section to section, but when in use running within the rod; and it also consists in making the sections of the rod of polygonal shape, instead of cylindrical, as in my previous patent, the slot in that case being in one of the sides of the sections, and as more fully hereinafter described.

In illustrating the invention I show one section with portions of two adjacent sections only, that being suflicient to the full understanding of the invention.

A represents one section of the rod, B the adjacent section toward the larger end of the rod, and C the adjacent section toward the smaller end of the rod.

In one side of each section a longitudinal slot, a, is made, which is of somewhat greater width than the largest line it is desirable to employ through the rod. The slot extends from near one end of the section to near the opposite end of the same section, as seen in Fig. 2. The end of the slot is closed, so that at each end there is a bridge formed across the slot.

In making up the rod I prefer to produce the sections of a polygonal shape in transverse section-say of triangular shape, as repre sented in Fig. 3. The respective sections are made from spring-tempered sheet metal, the strips from which each section is formed being bent so as to bring their edges into the same plane upon oneside, but distant from each other, to form the said slot a, and as indicated in Fig. 3.

Around the end of the section a band, I), may be applied outside, as represented at one end of the section in Fig. 2, or inside, as represented at the other end of the same figure, and so that the sections may work one Within another go telescopically, the inside band on one section forming a stop for the outside band of the other section as the rod is extended; or the sections may be made and united in the usual manner for uniting sections of fishing-rods by con- 5 structing the end of one section to set into the end of the next larger section, this construction being too Well known to require illustration, the method of connecting the several sections constituting no part of my present in vention.

In introducing the line it may be run into the forward end of the slot in one section beneath the collar or bridge and out through the slot of the next larger section, where it is easily reached, and then continued, again introduced at the forward end of the slot in the last section, and so on until the tip is reached, substantially in the same manner as the line is introduced through outside guides of sectional fishing-rods; but the line lies bodily within the rod, so that the advantages of a tubular rod having the line within it are fully attained in this construction of rod without the disadvantages incident to the introduction of the line in a close tubular rod.

In making the tubular sections slotted I prefer to make the tube of polygonal shapesay triangular, as represented in section, Fig. 3 and so that the slot will come upon one of the flat sides. I find in practice this polygonal shape to be preferable, because it is stronger and quite as readily shaped. The number of sides may be increased-say as five sides, as seen in Fig. 4, or hexagonal, as seen in Fig. 5. WVhile preferring the polygonal shape of rod which I have described, the slot may be applied. to the cylindrical shape of my former patent, as-seen in Fig. 6,with great advantage. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting this part of my invention to the particular shape of the rod in transverse section.

If bridges are desired across the slot other than at the ends, they may be produced by a band around the outside, asindicated in broken lines, Fig.1, or by making a connection 'between the two sides of the slot, as represented at d, Fig. 2; but usually the bridge at the ends of the respective sections will be sufficient.

The extreme tip may be tubular, as in my former patent, and usually such a tip would be preferable. In that case the line may be run from the section next to the tip outside to the extreme end of the tip, or it maybe run within the tip, as in my previous patent.

It will be understood that the best metal for the production of this rod is steel, but may be any metal which possesses the requisite spring temper.

I claim l. A fishing-rod composed of spring-tempered tubular sections, the respective sections constructed with alongitudinal slot upon one side, the slot closed at distant points, so as to form a succession of bridges across the slot, substantially as described.

2. A fishing-rod consisting of several springtempered tubular sections, the said sections being of polygonal shape in transverse section, and the respective sections constructed with a longitudinal slot upon one of its sides, the said slots closed at distant points to form a succession of bridges across the slot, substantially as described.

EVERETT HORTON. Witnesses:

FRED C. EARLE,

J. H. SHUMWAY. 

